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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — after costs
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. firm — steady
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — in sport
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com